WOLFGANG PUCK TO CREATE 2012 GOVERNORS BALL MENU

Beverly Hills, CA – For the 18th consecutive year, master chef Wolfgang Puck has been selected by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to create the menu for the Governors Ball, the celebration immediately following the 84th Academy Awards® presentation on Oscar® Sunday, February 26, 2012.

“We are so excited to help create a new energy for the Governors Ball this year,” said Puck. “With fantastic California ingredients, a few luxuries, and some favorite comfort foods, there will truly be something for everyone, and inspiration for anyone hosting a party at home. We are happy to celebrate Hollywood’s brightest stars and most accomplished artists with our culinary artistry.”

The 2012 menu created by Puck and Chef Matt Bencivenga embraces the social arrangement of this year’s Ball; it features more than fifty dishes, from one-bite hors d’oeuvres to small-plate entrees that will be passed throughout the evening. With visual artistry and eclectic flavors, signature favorites such as smoked salmon Oscars®, chicken pot pie with shaved black truffles, and Pastry Chef Sherry Yard’s gold-dusted chocolate Oscars will appear alongside inventive presentations such as lobster tacos with tomato and pickled Shallots, and beet salad with pistachio butter, burrata and citrus balsamic. The menu incorporates local produce and sustainable seafood, and its surprise sweets pay homage to the future of Oscar in 3D.

Wolfgang Puck Catering sets the standard for gracious hospitality and expert service in more than 45 exclusive venues nationwide. The Wolfgang Puck Companies – which comprise 21 fine dining restaurants, premium catering services, and quality kitchen and food merchandise – together express Puck’s passion for cooking and living well.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center, and televised live by the ABC Television Network beginning at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

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ABOUT THE ACADEMY
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world’s preeminent movie-related organization, with a membership of more than 6,000 of the most accomplished men and women working in cinema. In addition to the annual Academy Awards—in which the members vote to select the nominees and winners—the Academy presents a diverse year-round slate of public programs, exhibitions and events; provides financial support to a wide range of other movie-related organizations and endeavors; acts as a neutral advocate in the advancement of motion picture technology; and, through its Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive, collects, preserves, restores and provides access to movies and items related to their history. Through these and other activities the Academy serves students, historians, the entertainment industry and people everywhere who love movies.

“I think [technology has[ its made my life faster, it’s made the ability to succeed easier. But has that made my life better? Is it better now than it was in the eighties or seventies? I don’t think we are happier. Maybe because I’m 55, I really am asking these questions… I really want to do meaningful things! This is also the time that I really want to focus on directing. I think that I will act less and less. I’ve been doing it for 52 years. It’s a long time to do one thing and I feel like there are a lot of stories that I got out of my system that I don’t need to tell anymore. I don’t need to ever do The Accused again! That is never going to happen again! You hit these milestones as an actor, and then you say, ‘Now what? Now what do I have to say?'”
~ Jodie Foster

“If there’s one rule Hollywood has metaphysically proven in its century ofexperimentation, it’s that there’s no amount of money you can’t squander in the quest for hits.

“Netflix has spent the past couple years attempting to brute-force jailbreak this law. Its counter-theory has seemed to be, sure, a billion dollars doesn’t guarantee quality but how about three billion dollars? How about five billion dollars? Seven?

“This week’s latest cinematic opus to run across no-man’s-land into the machine-gun emplacements has been the Jared Leto yakuza movie ‘The Outsider.’ Once again, debuting on Netflix, another thing called a movie that at one glance doesn’t look like any kind of movie anyone has ever seen before, outside of off-prime time screenings at the AFM.

“If you’re working at a normal studio, you have one or two of these total misfires in a year and people start calling for your head. How many is Netflix going on? Fifteen? Twenty? This quarter? Any normal company would be getting murdered over results like that.”
~ Richard Rushfield